Tyler Perry on ‘Alex Cross’ & More

Actor/director/producer/writer Tyler Perry is in all measurable ways a success. The Atlanta-based Perry went from homeless to Hollywood with his gospel-influenced stage plays and then moved into movies and TV. But, like many successful people, he has critics. Industry veterans like Spike Lee and increasingly, some viewers, find his work stereotypical and his shows banal. This year, Perry took on a new challenge – appearing as fictional detective Alex Cross in the movie of the same title, out October 19th. (See trailer below.) This will be one of the few times in his career that Perry is not writer, director nor producer – instead he’s the hired talent. On more familiar ground, he also signed a deal with BFF Oprah to create the first scripted show for her network, OWN. While we give props to the man for going beyond his comfort level, we applaud some of the things Perry’s already done well. Here’s a list of the best of Perry’s work thus far.